Freight car construction



1, 1964 K. D. TOMLINSON 3,l59;112

FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

30 22 Fia- Z,

I INVEN TOR. KENNETH D. TOML/NSON ATTORNE Y5 1964 K. D. TOMLINSON 3,159,112

FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1963 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. D. TOML/NSON -BY I ATTORNEYS KENNETH Fig.3

United States Patent 3,159,112 FREIGHT CAR CONSTRUTION Kenneth D. Tomlinsou, 5353 London Road, Duluth 4, Minn. Filed Jan. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 253,559 2 Claims. (Cl. 105-367) This invention relates to railroad car constructions.

More particularly, this invention relates to a railroad fiatcar construction for transporting lumber and the like which employs a plurality of tie elements, one end of each element being mounted for sliding movement.

It is an object of this invention to provide a flatcar construction for the rail transportation of flexible quantities of lumber and the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide a railroad flatcar construction employing a plurality of upright, longitudinally spaced, leg members and a plurality of flexible tie elements, each such tie element having its lower end mounted to a lateral side of the flatcar and having its upper end secured for sliding movements longitudinally of a diiferent one of said leg members.

It is another object of this invention to provide a railroad flatcar construction in which a conventional railroad flatcar is equipped with a pair of bulkheads at its opposite ends, a beam connected between the bulkheads, and having .a plurality of upright, longitudinally spaced, leg members connected between the flatcar and the beam, there being in addition, a plurality of flexible tie elements each of which is adapted for sliding movements along a different one of said leg members.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification,

' appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters in dicate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of a fiatcar construction of the invention, showing loads of various sizes similarly braced and secured in adjacent relationship by my improved means with some par-ts thereof broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view in top plan of the structure shown in FIG. 1, but with all loads removed and with some parts thereof broken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing a possible relationship of load ties on both sides of the fiat car with some parts thereof broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in horizontal section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view in top plan of the snubbing device used in the tie elements employed in the construction of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 5.

Turning to the drawings, there is seen in FIG. 1 an embodiment of the flatcar construction of the invention, herein designated in its entirety by the numeral 10. This fiatcar construction It) uses a conventional, wheeled frame structure 11. This wheeled frame structure 11 has a steel under frame with wood floor. The underframe has so-called fish-belly type center sills, built up of web plates with inside and outside bottom cord angles, outside top cord angles, and top cover plate. The side sills are also of the fish-belly type with top and bottom cord angles inside. End sills are of rolled channels, extending between center and side sills. There are two bolsters of pressed pan construction with top and bottom cover plates, three deep cross bearers of pressed pan construction with top and bottom cover plates, six fioor beams of pressed pans without cover plates, and two shallow floor beams of pressed pans without cover plates.

tween the base of each leg member 17 and 19 and the Patented Dec. 1, 1964 ice There are also two wood floor stringers to which the wooden floor is nailed. The fioor is also bolted to center and side sill top cord angles. The trucks have cast steel integral box side frames and cast steel bolsters with in tegral center plates and side bearings.

Observe that the bulkhead 12 and the braces 14 are utilized to provide a storage bin which is designated in its entirety by the numeral 8. This bin is closed by a pair of doors 9 which are hinged along the longitudinal sides to respective individual braces of the braces 14.

At either end of the frame structure 11 is positioned a bulkhead 12 and 13. Each bulkhead 12 and 13 projects vertically upwardly from the frame structure 11 and is braced in this position by means of the braces 14. The braces 14 can be formed in any conventional manner and serve to resist longitudinal displacement of either bulkhead 12 and 13 from its desired upstanding position. Each bulkhead 12 and 13 is built up with six vertical channels and six channel braces, suitably arranged with appropriate stiffeners. The faces of each bulkhead are formed of wood planks which are bolted to the vertical members.

A beam 16 which is T-shaped in cross section is connected at its opposite ends to the mid-region of the upper end portion of each of the bulkheads 12 and 13 in overlying, spaced relationship to the frame structure 11. The beam 16 is so fixed to each bulkhead 12 and 13 as to resist both transverse and vertical displacements. The

beam 16 can be formed of any structurally appropriate material; for example, the beam 16 can be constructed of a continuous steel rolled T section extending from bulkhead 12 to bulkhead 13.

A set or plurality of upright, longitudinally spaced, leg members 17 which are also T-shaped in cross section are connected at their lower ends to the frame structure 11 and at their upper ends to opposite side flanges of the beam 16. The leg members 17 each have lateral, outer load-bearing sides, generally disposed in a common plane which slopes upwardly and laterally inwardly with respect to the adjacent longitudinal side 18 of the frame structure 11.

A second set or plurality of upright, longitudinally spaced, leg members 19 are also connected at their lower ends to the frame structure 11 and at their upper ends to the beam 16. Like the leg members 17, these leg members 19 each have lateral, outer load-bearing sides disposed in a common plane which slopes upwardly and laterally inwardly with respect to an adjacent longitudinal side, in this case, the side numbered 20 of the frame structure 11. Thus, the leg members 17 and 19 are generally upwardly converging with respect to one another and preferably are paired, as in the embodiment shown in the figures. The leg members 17 and 19 can be formed of any appropriate material. For example, the leg members 17 and 19 can be constructed of T bars welded to a steel plate at their bottom ends and to the beam 16 at their top ends, respectively.

Positioned on the frame structure 11 are a plurality of load-supporting foot members 22. Each such foot member 22 extends transversely of the frame structure 11 berespective adjacent side 18 and 29 of the frame structure 11. Each such foot member 22 has a top surface which is generally normal to the outer load-bearing sides of the respective leg-members 17 and 19, while the foot members 22 are generally paired to the leg members 17 and 19, respectively, as in the embodiment shown in the drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such need not be the case and thatthe principle involved is that the foot members 22 are so positioned with respect to the leg members 17 and 19 and their respective, adjacent sides 18 and 20 of'the frame structure 11 that the foot members 22 have top surfaces disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane formed by the respective outer sides of the leg members 17 and 19, respectively. Observe that thefoot members 22 are so positioned in the embodiment shown as to permit loading and unloading of the fiatcar construction by means of a conventional so called fork lift truck.

A plurality of flexible tie elements 23 extend between each side 18 and 20 of the frame structure 11 and each respective outer load-bearing side of leg members 17 and 19. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, each flexible tie element 23 is composed of a first hook 24-, a chain 25, a second hook 26, a cinch strap 27, a buckle 28, and an anchor element 29. Each hook 24 demountably engages an eye bracket 30. Each eye bracket is mounted on the opposite sides 18 and 20 so as to be generally opposite a leg member 17 and 19 and in line with each foot member 22. The actual construction of an eye bracket 30 can be varied to be in accordance with the load and stress requirements anticipated for a given embodiment of the invention.

The hook 26 is adapted for engagement with individual links of the chain 25. As depicted in FIG. 3, the hook 26 is engaged with the last link of the chain 25 thereby making the flexible tie element 23 have its greatest length. By engaging the hook 26 with intermediate links of chain 25, the flexible tie element 23 is shortened as desired. The hook 26 is secured to the cinch strap 27. While the chain 25 is, of course, metallic in construction, the cinch strap can be of any conventional material having suitable strength characteristics such as leather, synthetic fibers, having canvas webbing,flexible wire rope, heavy elastic band, or the like. This cinch strap 27 preferably is chosen so as to have a width which does not cause damage to goods being shipped on the flatcar construction 10. One end of the buckle 28 is secured .to the opposite end of the cinch strap 27 while the other end of buckle 28 is secured to the anchor element 29.

Each anchor element 29 is secured to a difierent one of the leg members 17 and 19 for sliding movements longitudinally thereof. Each such anchor'element 29 shown has a generally U-shaped element 37 (see FIG.,-4) which is adapted to engage the opposite side edges of the loadbearing surface of each leg member 17 and19. Outwardly extending from the base mid-region of' the U- shaped element 37 is a stem 38 in which is positioned the eye 34 described hereafter. 7

Though any suitable means canrbe used for securing the anchor element 29 to the cinch strap 27, a buckle is 1 secured to the shank of the hook element 33 of the buckle.

28, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 5 and 6. Observe that the hook element'33 demountably engages with the anchor element 29 by means of hooking the hook portion of hook element 33 withan eye 34 formed in the anchor element 29. w I

The operation of the flatcar construction 10 is as follows. Aquantity of lumber, or the like, is loaded upon the foot members 22. Owing to the angular relationship between the top surface of each foot member 22 andithe load-bearing surfaces of the leg members 17 and 19, a

portion of the effective weight of the load upon the foot members 2'2isborne by each of the adjacent leg members 17 and 19 according to the weight distribution of the particular load involved. It will be appreciated, of course, that the foot members 22 are not an essential part of this invention but simply aid in retaining the load on the fiatcar construction 10. Assuming a maximum load as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 3, the flexible tie members 23 have the configuration thereshown. Thus, after a load is in place upon the foot members 22 and resting against the leg members 17 and 19, each flexible tie element 23 is extended vertically along the outer side of the load and cinched against the load, thereby compressing the load against the foot members 22 and the respective leg members 17 and 19 to secure the load for transportation upon the flat car construction 10. Variations in load size are compensated for by varying the link of chain 25 which is engaged with the second hook 26 in each individual flexible tie element 23. 7

. My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects, and while 1 have shown and described a preferred embodiment, 1 wish it to be specifically understood that the ame is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A railway flat car for the transportation of lumber and the like comprising: I

(a) a wheeled frame structure; 1 V

(b) a pair of bulkheads extending vertically upwardly adjacent end portions of said frame structure,

(0) a longitudinally extending beam which is T-shaped in cross section secured at its ends to upper end portions of said bulkheads,

(d) a plurality of vertically extending relatively spaced leg members which are T-shaped in cross section and each said leg member having a load bearing side flange disposed in a common; plane with respect to the longitudinal side of said frame structure each of said leg members being connected at its upper end to said beam and at its lower end to said frame structure, whereby loads differing in height and width may be supported in end to end relation along said frame structure and securely bound to the load bearing side flanges of said legs. 2. Thejstructure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spaced leg members are upwardly inclined from a load supporting foot member having a top surface which is normal to the load bearing side flange of said leg members.

References Cited by the Examiner V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,602,690 7/52 Mei'ghan -369 2,638,063 5/53 Clark a 105-369 2,710,221 6/55 Hinners 2963 2,735,377 2/56 Elsner 1O5369 2,768,004 10/56 Wagner 105-669 2,851,301 9/58 Jagsch 296-3 2,940,402 6/60 Hansen et al 105367' 3,079,874 3/ 63 Hansen et al 1054-369 LEO QUACKENBUSH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RAILWAY FLAT CAR FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF LUMBER AND THE LIKE COMPRISING: (A) A WHEEL FRAME STRUCTURE; (B) A PAIR OF BULKHEADS EXTENDING VERTICALLY UPWARDLY ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, (C) A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BEAM WHICH IS T-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION SECURED AT ITS ENDS TO UPPER END PORTIONS OF SAID BULKHEADS, (D) A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING RELATIVELY SPACED LEG MEMBERS WHICH ARE T-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION AND EACH SAID LEG MEMBER HAVING A LOAD BEARING SIDE FLANGE DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE EACH OF SAID LEG MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID BEAM AND AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID FRAME STRUCTURE INWARDLY OF THE SID EDGE, (E) AN ANCHOR MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE LOAD BEARING SIDE FLANGE OF EACH LEG MEMBER FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT THEREALONG, (F) A FLEXIBLE TIE ELEMENT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO EACH ANCHOR MEMBER AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END TO THE LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE PORTION OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE OUTWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID ANCHOR AND ITS CONNECTED LEG MEMBER, AND (G) MEANS FOR ADJUSTING AND SECURING THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID TIE MEMBER OVER A LOAD ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, WHEREBY LOADS DIFFERING IN HEIGHT AND WIDTH MAY BE SUPPORTED IN END RELATION ALONG SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND SECURELY BOUND TO THE LOAD BEARING SIDE FLANGES OF SAID LEGS. 